Portable DVD Players

Buying Guide

Introduction:
We have become a very multi-media centric s...
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Buying Guide

Introduction:

We have become a very multi-media centric society where we have need to take our entertainment with us wherever we go. Video, Movies and Television, have become a very big part of our everyday lives, we use it to get information and for purely entertainment purposes as well, most people have more than one video device in their homes, and portable video devices as well.

Portable DVD players have become extremely popular for their ability to entertain us on the go, and take our movies with us, be it in the car to keep our children entertained or just to help us pass the time at the airport while awaiting a flight. Nothing really helps better to pass the time while waiting for something than watching your favorite movie does it?

Portable DVD Players today are available in prices ranging from forty to fifty dollars to over a thousand dollars, it all depends on what features or options you need and what qualities you prefer in your device. They come in varying shapes and sizes as well, and some can be purchased in kits for specific car mounting, again it all depends on the individual needs of the buyer what they'll purchase in the end.

There are a few things to consider though when purchasing a Portable DVD Player that some people might not think of, so I'm going to try and explore what you should consider when buying a Portable DVD player:

Things to look at when buying a Portable DVD Player:

There are four things that I consider the most important when purchasing a Portable DVD Player and they are:

Battery Life is the number one thing to consider when looking to purchase any portable device, but especially a portable DVD player. You don't want to run out of juice during your favorite movie do you? While some players offer longer battery life than others, the average time is about 4 hours, which is usually enough for two average movies, considering most movies these days run an hour and half or a little longer each.
-One thing to note is that while some manufacturers might claim one battery life the real-world performance might greatly differ, so it's very wise to shop around and see what others say about the rated battery life of a product.

Portability is another important factor when choosing a Portable DVD Player, you might wonder how I can even suggest this as a factor in your purchase, but some are more portable than others. It all depends what you will be using your DVD player for as to the type you'll need. More rugged and sturdy players will weigh more than others, you'll want to purchase one that is more durable if you plan on taking it on road trips or even camping. Also a longer battery life usually means a larger battery and therefore more weight added to the product.

Screen Size is something of a personal preference some people don't mind a small screen, but others might and those with vision problems might require a larger screen as well. Here again the larger the screen the heavier it's going to weigh, and of course will cost more as well.

Speakers are an important factor as well, while most portable DVD players will offer built in speakers, some are better than others, most come with one speaker, higher end models do offer stereo sound, or two speakers that are built in. Some even include a feature called virtual surround sound where it enhances the sound quality coming from the speakers in a pseudo surround sound effect through hardware audio signal processing. If you wish for a better audio experience then you'll opt for a more higher end player that includes two speakers and a feature like surround sound built in.

There are several other options to look at as well regarding portable DVD players, but the ones that you require or need are of a personal preference.

Audio and Video Outputs are available on some types of portable DVD players, this allows you to connect the player to a regular TV and use it as you would a stand alone Home DVD player. Quite feasibly you could just own a Portable DVD player and then have no need for the stand alone variety if the player you purchase has the optional needed outputs.

Removable Batteries are something that you might wish to consider when purchasing a Portable DVD player, while most have the ability to swap batteries, not all do, if you require this option make sure you first check and see if it has the ability to do this.

Formats: Not every portable DVD player can play all formats of video and audio, if you have your own movies on home recorded DVDs or even home recorded CDs they might not play on all players, if you require this function make sure you check the specs first. Some players also have the ability to play Mp3s, Jpegs and Divx formats as well, but not all will be able to do this. There are numerous types of audio and video formats out there today, and that includes still pictures as well, so if you have specific needs for certain types of formats make sure you read the specifications of the device closely to see if it meets your needs before purchasing.

Accessories can be an important factor as well when purchasing a Portable DVD Player, most all players will come with an external power supply to plug into the wall, and some even come with a car power adapter as well, but not all will have this come standard. Some players will also come with a car mount kit, the kit allows you to mount the player on the back of the front seat so it can be easily watched by the passengers sitting in the back, something that is great if you have children. Of course with more accessories comes a higher price tag as well.

Dual Headphone Jacks: All Portable DVD players come with one headphone jack, but some include two so you can share the audio with someone else, if you wish to share the audio then you'll need to make sure it includes two sets of headphone jacks.

Anti-Skip Feature: If you're planning on traveling a lot with a Portable Player, especially in the car you should make sure you find one with an anti-skip function built in, this might seem like something that should come standard on a portable device but this isn't always the case. There are also varying levels of anti-skip technology as well, some products will have it labeled right on the package how far ahead the device reads. The technology works be reading ahead and buffering it in the devices memory, some products mights say 30 seconds, while others will say 120 seconds, obviously the longer read ahead time offers better anti-skip protections.

When purchasing a Portable DVD Player you need to know what you're going to be using it for, and what features you want or need to have included with it. The type you purchase will greatly depend on your own specific needs and uses for it.

Shop around and do a bit of research, talk to other people who own these products and see how they perform. Don't always believe what the manufacturers have written on their products boxes, like battery life for example, most will list the higher end, but not the average life expectancy of the battery, or some will list ranges like 4-6 hours, well there's a big difference between 4 and 6 when it comes to watching one movie or two.

When you finally find the product you intend on buying make sure you see what others are saying about to make sure it lives up to the manufacturers claims.